Destiny's Couple
by Alita James
Summary: Two refugees from a distant planet have landed in Smallville and have been found by Jonathan Kent. Is this a coincidence or are there more sinister forces at work? Will develop into Clex.
1. Prologue: Happy Landings

Untitled AU Where Both Lara and Kal come to Earth

ooOOoo

_Prologue: Happy Landings_

If anyone had asked Jonathan Kent where he would be on this October afternoon he would have responded without hesitation at the feed store, on a neighbors farm or working on his own farm. It never would have occurred to him to be driving Lionel Luthor, one of the richest men in the state of Kansas to Smallville General with his injured son. Let alone be carrying what was a space pod in the back of his truck, under some tarp with it's two inhabitance.

Jonathan's attention was split between the sky and the strange assortment of passengers he had in his truck. The heavens were no longer raining down with fiery balls reminiscent of stories from his Sunday school than had a place in a Kansas sky. He glanced at the woman again. She was young, as best as he could tell. Her long auburn hair fell free over her shoulders and obscured her face slightly. But he could see her lips moving continuously as she spoke in a low voice to her son? Jonathan queried. The boy on her lap, like his mother looked human enough. When they had scrambled up the side of the crater that the ship had gouged out of the field he had stood to about the woman's mid thigh. So what did that make him about 3 perhaps 4? The alien child with the brown hair had taken a fascination with the older boy, Lionel Luthor's son. He seemed to be talking to him and petting his face gently. Jonathan was afraid that he might hurt the Luthor boy, but instead he seemed to have a very gentle touch.

Suddenly a burning meteorite crashed into the road ahead of the truck, "Hold on!" Jonathan called to his passengers and preceded to swerve around the gagged hole that the meteorite created in the middle of the road. Jonathan kept a wary eye on the sky as he continued to drive.

Soon the vast flat Kansas plains gave way to houses that sprung up in denser clusters denoting the beginning of the town. And the true horror of the day began to dawn on Jonathan. The formally small tidy houses were ripped apart exposing the inner rooms to the light of day. In some places a toothy gap was all that was left where a house obviously once stood. The debris of burned cars strewn across the road. The air was rent with the shrill tones of useless security alarms, screams and the bark of dogs.

By the time they had inched their way to the hospital in the heart of Smallville Jonathan had counted over 50 people dead in what was left of their homes. A vision so harrowing that only his combat experience could compare with it.

"Thank you so much, thank you." Lionel Luthor said gratefully as he took his son out of the truck as they stood in the car park of Smallville General. The scene around was chaotic, cars were parked haphazardly, people ran to and fro, some with blood poring from their various injuries. "If there is anything I can do for you or your family don't hesitate to ask." Lionel said to the man who had saved his life and that of his son.

"Oh they aren't my family," Jonathan began and then stopped himself, "Don't mention it I would have done the same for anyone." He watched as Mr Luthor carried his son to the doors of the hospital and barged into the facility. Jonathan didn't have to worry if he would be seen to. Even in this chaos he was sure that a Luthor would receive the best care. He spared a thought for the boy. He had looked so wan, so pale. Barely moving all the while they had been driving. And his head, not a scrap of hair on the poor boy's head. The voice of the small boy as he struggled to break free from his mother's restraining hold brought him back to his dilemma.

What to do with his two remaining passengers? He watched as the woman quieted the boy and whispered to him. He wondered what she was saying. What would a mother say to a child who had just lost a companion, a playmate. Implore them to be patient. That they would meet another day. Was she right, would those two boys ever see each other again? Jonathan didn't know what to do. He looked into the woman's eyes, a suffusion of green. They seemed to implore him, beseeching him to look after them, help them. But what could he, a Kansas farmer do? Where could he take them, who would know what to do with them? Jonathan did the only thing he was sure of. He got back into the truck, carefully negotiated his way out of the parking lot, out of the town and headed home. A nights sleep would make this whole situation clearer. Give a bit of distance to the crazy situation that he found himself in.

As Jonathan drove he spoke, not caring if his passengers could understand him. "We are going home," he clarified, "back to my home. I live on a farm, with livestock but it is mainly a cereal farm." Jonathan realized belatedly that he might not even have a home, the carnage that he had seen the meteorites wreck that day. "I hope that the place is still in one piece." He sighed, "My family have owned the farm for three generations. If we survive this day I hope that I will have the chance to pass it onto another generation of Kents. MY name is Jonathan Kent by the way and my mother would be appalled at my manners." He continued talking as he drove. He was not sure but the sound of his voice seem to lull his passengers.

So deep in his monologue was he that Jonathan didn't notice when he said his name that the woman flinched slightly.


	2. Chapter 1

Destiny's Couple: Chapter 1

Destiny's Couple: Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Lara-El woke up from her sleep with the same feeling of dread and fear that she had had ever since the day after her betrothal. She sprung up out of her sleeping bed, darting frantic looks around the room. Everything was different, nothing was familiar. Gone were the overly ornate hanging made up of the El House colors. Gone was the clawing scent of jubilee flowers her husband insisted be placed in their chamber every day. Gone was the nauseating scent of her husband's clinging to her skin to denote that he had bedded her the previous evening and gone was the deep feeling of pain…she stopped that thought.

Her new surroundings where sparse in comparison to the opulent luxury that her husband's wealth had made her accustomed to. Instead a very simple table stood by her sleeping bed, a vessel made of some material that resembled thalamite stood. Where her old room had boasted high ceilings this room was merely less than twice her height. The bed coverings were flimsy but soft to the touch and had been well cared for in their lifetime. She of all knew that with prudent care artifacts that had long since outlived their natural lifespan could still be presentable. Then suddenly a new fear gripped her heart as she looked around the room and realized that she was the only occupant. Taking to her feet she flew through the open portal which she only had scant seconds to consider was unlocked and ran down the short corridor.

Soon reaching the top of the stairs and paused listened. Silence. No bustle of servants, visitors or any other occupants of any kind just silence.

"Kal-El!." She cried, her voice echoed in the stillness of the dwelling. Sweeping down the stairs Lara found herself on a lower level. No barricades hampered her speedy path as she searched through the dwelling.

/_Kal-El tu a meh nahru/_ _Kal-El where are you my son_?. With no response Lara continued to move swiftly from room to room, banding her elegant shin on a piece of furniture. The pain brought tears to her eyes. Her heart beat frantically in her chest as she burst forth from the dwelling and was embraced by bright light. Panic stricken she hurled herself back onto the solid comfort of the wall and preyed to all her gods that she would see her son one last time before the fettered atmosphere killed her.

One, two three breaths she took before she realized that she was not choking in the gaseous effluence. Slowly she opened her eyes and surveyed the alien landscape. The sky here was a color so vivid that for several seconds she gapped at it in wonder. The terrain undulated in a haphazadious manner. She ventured from the platform she stood on, down onto the sharp surface below.

Uncaring of the pain to the soles of her bare feet she began to move away from the dwelling and began again to call for her beloved son.

/_Kal-El tu a meh nahru/ _Hot tears sprang to her eyes as her continued calls went unanswered. The pain in her heart dulled the pain of her feet. Wracked with bitter regret that all of their plans, all of their scheming had come to naught. Lara continued to walk aimlessly across the courtyard and towards another large dwelling place.

Just as she was sure her heart would burst from her sorrow she beheld the most glorious sight that she had ever seen. Walking side by side came her son with the being. The tall being with the gold hair and eyes the color of this alien sky. Her son looked over to her and he smiled. Lara thought her heart would burst, this time with joy. So seldom had she seen him smile in recent times that she was sure that she would never see it again. For that one look she knew that all of their sacrifice had been worth it, 10 times over.

/_Ma keh neh aban sul eh/_ Kal called to his mother smiling. "I have had so much fun with the strange creatures."

Lara ran towards her son her, arms flung wide to receive him. Her eyes took in his strange garb and foot coverings.

/_Kal-El car-agh nu/ _"My beloved Kal-El"_. _Lara called. So focused was all of her attention on her son that she did not see the look of dismay settle on Jonathan's face.

Jonathan dropped the plastic bucket he was holding and ran towards the woman as she called to her son. In a few strides he was in front of her and gathered her into his arm and off of her feet. Struggling to keep from dropping the thrashing flailing woman Jonathan headed for the porch. Eventually setting her down on the seat, he picked up her foot and cleaned it with the sleeve of his shirt before examining it closely. He did the same to her other foot. Swearing under his breath Jonathan looked into the scared face of the woman. Not for the first time did it strike him just how beautiful she was.

"You could have really hurt yourself lady!" He shouted angrily. "A farm isn't a place to play around in. People get hurt. People who have lived all of their life on a farm." Jonathan stopped shouting, the look of terror on the woman's face halting any other words he might have said. He ran a hand through his hair worriedly.

"Jonathan you idiot! How could you have been shouting at her? She had just woken up in a strange place, probably worried that her son was missing. Tired. Hungry. Do they eat?" Jonathan admonished himself. He looked back into her face and apologized, he preyed that his tone conveyed his sentiment even if the meaning was unintelligible, "I am sorry." Jonathan said. "I am sorry." He repeated once again. "I didn't want you to hurt yourself, cause god knows I can't take you to Smallville General to be seen to." He smiled wanly at her as she clutched her son to her. He smiled at the picture they made. The boy chatting away happily in her lap.

ooOOoo

Jonathan had kept to his usual routine, after he had put his unexpected guests to sleep in the spare bedroom he had check the property, check the animals and gone to sleep.

In the morning he had awoken to find the little boy standing at the foot of his bed. Talking all the while to his new companion he got ready for the day. He told him about farming and the awesome responsibility it was to tend animal and cultivate the land. He had also told him that his grandfather had built the house, against his father's wishes and stubbornly cultivated the land.

The boy said nothing as Jonathan went about his business, his green eyes interested in what he did.

As Jonathan dressed he wondered what his two visitors did wherever they came from. What they were doing here in a formerly sleepy town in Kansas. It was hardly an invasion. What kind of invasion was it. One made up of women and children. Perhaps they were refugees. The first in a wave to make it to this planet, their men were left behind. Fighting? Dying? He had seen a fare few evacuations in his time. And as much as people liked to think that they would put the women and children first with the scent of death in their nostrils it was likely to be every man for himself.

Jonathan pulled out some pieces of clothing that he was sure that his mother had kept from his youth and although they were several sizes too big, they seemed more appropriate that the boy wear his old clothes and not the strange garb that he had come in. Just in case someone came by the house. Who, Jonathan wasn't precisely sure but it paid to be cautious.

"Well young man," Jonathan addressed the boy as he lifted one small foot to place it into an old pair of his sturdy brown boots, "We are going to check on the animals and then come back and I am going to make us some breakfast." He continued not expecting a reply. "Perhaps by then your mother would be up and we can start trying to sort out this situation."

Jonathan rose and patted the boy on the shoulder, "Come on we can go and say hello to the chickens. See if buttercup and the other girls are ready to be milked. As he walked Jonathan was glad to note that the boy followed him, running to keep up with his strides. Jonathan shortened his steps so that the little boy could comfortably keep pace. For his pains he got a huge grin from the boy. Jonathan smiled back. "Well I think the two of us are going to get along fine."

Jonathan was pleased that his usual morning routine did not take too long to complete even with the boy in tow. He stood still when Jonathan commanded him to in order to keep out of the way of the animals and he enthusiastically threw the chicken feed at the hens as Jonathan showed him. There was a strangely familiar feeling to the whole thing which was only broken when the woman's heartrending voice was heard in the farm yard.

ooOOoo

/ Eh hend am yu al karhem/ "I helped feed the creatures." Kal-El told his mother as they went back into the house. He had had so much fun. More fun than he could ever remember having without his mother. And he had not been scared of the man. Not like with his father. His father who made his mother cry.

Lara listened to the happy chatter of her son, as he explained what he had done since he had risen from his bed. Lara just drank in the happy smiling countenance of her son and thanked the gods.

Lara carefully watched as the man moved them back into the dwelling and into one of the rooms she had fled through. She had been so stunned by what had turned out to be an act of such kindness that she meekly followed him. Lara knew that neither her husband nor any of his friends and counterparts would ever kneel down and wipe the feet of their consort, much less with their own clothes. This man was extraordinary.

He indicated that she should sit and moved around the room. He was speaking again. She did not understand what he said but it had a quality that was pleasing. Rich and deep it soothed her. Her eyes felt compelled to follow him as he moved from one point to the next collecting objects as he went. Lara pulled her son onto her lap and paid half a mind to his chatter as she watched the man work.

Soon Jonathan had finished breakfast and laid the plates of pancakes and toast and the pot of coffee on the table. He smiled at his companions and served them first placing two pancakes on a plate for the woman and one on the plate beside it for the boy. He poured a generous amount of maple syrup over the stacks and sat down to eat his own share.

Cutting the food carefully he took a mouthful and smiled at his guests. After he had taken a few more bites he was pleased to see that the boy was eager to follow his lead. He watched as the woman hesitantly picked up the fork.

After a few aborted attempts Lara managed to cut her food into small bits and as the man did fed her son. Kal made approving noises and she soon followed taking a mouthful. It was like nothing she had ever had before. Soft and sweet, she allowed the food to sit in her mouth for several moments enjoying the new sensation before she attempted to chew it. Eagerly she cut the food into small pieces and taking turns fed her son as well as herself.

Jonathan smiled pleased that his guests were enjoying their meal. He had wondered if they had food and if they even had utensils where they came from but obviously this was something they were familiar with.

Jonathan began talking, "I am glad you like the food. I have to say that I am a pretty good cook." He smiled smugly. "My mother taught me well and then years in the army taught me how to appreciate a good home cooked meal." He paused.

"I'm glad the boy likes it as well. He seems like a really healthy boy. He really liked being with the animals, although I am sure he has already told you that." Jonathan continued talking, pausing when the boy spoke and the woman responded until the breakfast was eaten and the plates cleaned and packed away.

They had just come back from washing the boy's face when someone knocked on the door. Instantly Jonathan tensed. He indicated that they should be quiet as he went to answer it.

Deputy-Sheriff Ethan Miller stood on Jonathan's porch a look of agitation on his face.

"Deputy." Jonathan greeted the man, "What can I do for you?"

Deputy Ethan greeted Jonathan and got to the point, "Well to be frank Jonathan we could use a man with your expertise in town. As you know all hell has broken loose and the sheriff has been injured quite badly."

Jonathan cast a look back at his guests as they stayed out of sight in the other room. "I would like to help but I have guests to consider."

Ethan interrupted, "I wouldn't bother you but I am desperate, Jacobson and Cameron are barely keeping order as it is, the fire department is struggling and all of the tornado volunteers are spread all over the town. It is every hand to the pump."

"My guests," Jonathan began again, "have suffered a traumatic incident before coming here. This was supposed to be their refuge. I can hardly abandon them."

Ethan took off his hat and scrunched it in his hands, "I am begging you Jonathan we need all the help we can get. I have never seen anything like this in my life. There are parts of the town that are completely gone and people are out of their minds.

Jonathan cast a look back again, the woman and the boy had moved forward into the room. The woman clutched the boy to her side. He could tell that he was eager to meet their caller.

Seeing his hesitance Ethan blurted out, "Bring them, they can keep people company and you can keep an eye on them."

Jonathan wondered if what he was doing was the right thing. Their incoherent rambling was a dead give away if not of their alien background but to their otherness. But Jonathan had known that it was just a matter of time before he had to leave the strange haven of his farm and return to town.

Jonathan shepherded the boy and the woman into the truck. Dressed in an odd assortment of his and his mother's clothing the pair looked as much as they belonged as any other local did in a mixture of flannel, cotton and denim. Jonathan hoped that no one looked too closely because one look at the beautiful woman with the flawless skin, lustrous eyes and auburn curtain of hair would proclaim that she was not from these parts. Although it seemed fool hardy to have brought the instigators of the misery that the town was suffering Jonathan determine that it was best that he keep the woman and boy with him. At least Jonathan reasoned if anything happened he would be on hand.


End file.
